1. Win Guests by Telling Them What They’ll Lose

If I asked you to choose between ground beef that’s 75% lean or 25% fat, which one would you choose?

A study on consumer choices revealed that most people will pick ‘75% lean’, despite it being materially the same as ‘25% fat’.

Similarly, in 1995, a behavioral study showed two groups of women videos about breast cancer and mammography. The video aimed to persuade them to get themselves screened: the first was positively framed, highlighting the benefits of having a mammogram. The second video was negatively framed, and stressed the risks of not having one.

The results?

The loss-framed video increased mammogram bookings by 10%.

The trigger responsible here is known as loss aversion. It suggests that people fear losing out on something more than they desire to gain something.

This search ad from the Dollar Shave Club puts the trigger to good use:

Instead of telling you how much you can save, the Dollar Shave Club tells you that you’re overpaying on blades

The real question is: How can you use loss aversion to drive more bookings?

Easy! Just tell your guests what they’re missing out on.

A simple way to do this is to put text near your call to action that tells guests about the great deals and exclusive offers they’ll miss out on if they don’t sign up for your newsletter or book now.

This trigger can also be used to power up your packages and offers. For example, if you include special activities or other add-ons with your packages, let your guests know how much money they’re wasting by not taking your offer.

To make the most out of this trigger, best practices suggest that you apply it to tangible benefits that your guests are afraid of losing. Like money, time, or activities or rewards.

2. Ignite Your Guests’ Desire with Urgency and Scarcity

Ever wondered why almost every sales letter urges you to “act soon” while “stocks last”?

It’s because marketers know they can springboard desire for their products or services to dizzying heights with scarcity and urgency.

So what exactly are scarcity and urgency, and how can they help you?

Urgency is when a buyer feels the need to act quickly because of how important something seems to be.

Scarcity is when a buyer feels the need to snatch up a product/service because supplies are short, but demand is high.

Online Travel Agency Expedia does an exemplary job of using scarcity and urgency:

3. Increase Loyalty by Makings Your Guests Feel Important

A proven way to make your guests feel valued is to reward them for their custom.

When a marketing news company called Drum interviewed Matt Walls (Hotel.com’s marketing chief), they found that using a reward-based strategy and making customers feel important was essential to gaining their 10 million loyalty program members.

“It allows us to stand out from our competitors and provides an incentive for our customers to return to Hotels.com time and again. We want to show our customers that they are valued, so we reward them for their loyalty. It is no secret that maintaining a good relationship with your existing customers is key to long-term success.” –Matt Walls

4. Pick a Fight to Get Guests on Your Side

A controversial study by psychologist Henri Tajfel studied the behaviour of people when engaged in acts of mass hatred. His findings were interesting, and a little disturbing:

The study found that people would show loyalty to their group and completely discriminate against outsiders, even with the smallest of distinctions.

In the tests, subjects were asked to decide between two people or objects that they had no previous connection to. When it came to dishing out rewards to their person or object of choice, subjects showed a notable bias towards their “in-group” and avoided sharing rewards with “outsiders”.

Shocking, isn’t it? But what’s more surprising is how this “us vs. them” common enemy trigger is used by big name brands.

They describe themselves as the “anti-hotel”. They tell guests how they’re against “high rate phone calls”, “expensive minibars”, and “paid-for internet.”

Becoming the “anti-hotel” and making traditional, ‘overpriced’ hotels the enemy creates a deeper connection with guests and helps win them over.

Conclusion

Things in the digital world are in a constant state of flux, and the world of hotel marketing is no exception to the rules of the game.

However, by understanding and using the psychological triggers that are imbedded into our brains, you’ll know what works with your guests, why it works, and most importantly, how to use it to land more bookings.

Need help with implementing these triggers on your hotel website? Get in touch with us.

Focused exclusively on the hotel sector, Net Affinity has collated the brightest, most commercially focused, experienced and passionate team of online marketers, account managers, designers and developers whose combined skill set ensures our clients online success and continued growth.
We created this blog because we wanted to share our expertise with you, and offer you the knowledge that over 15 years experience in the hotel industry has given us.